The intentional killing of a human being for the purpose of ending their suffering.
Euthanasia involves the intentional killing of someone, with the purpose of eliminating their suffering. An intention to take life has always been the critical and unacceptable component of euthanasia.
Opponents of euthanasia do not support burdensome or unnecessary medical treatment but they do believe that the supply of food and water is an essential human right that should (almost) never be denied to a patient.
The slippery slope from a ‘right-to-die’ to a ‘duty-to-die’
The Hippocratic Oath forbids the medical profession from deliberately ending a person’s life. Whilst most civilisations have always opposed euthanasia many nations are now sliding down the slippery slope towards it. The most worrying characteristic of this slippery slope is the way a ‘right-to-die’ can quickly become a ‘duty-to-die’ for very vulnerable people.
In Final Wishes – a highly-recommended book - Paul Chamberlain discusses this ‘duty-to-die’:
"[The Right to Die] places upon incredibly vulnerable people the added burden of having to justify their own existence, if not to others, at least to themselves. And this at a time when they may feel useless, discouraged and a burden to others.... From now on their continued existence is a choice they must make and can be called upon to justify.... People like this can be asked why, when other people are choosing physician-assisted suicide, giving up their medical equipment for others and ending the burden and expense of family and society, why they would like to live on - as, of course, the vast majority will want to."
The same argument has been made by journalist Penny Relph:
"Just imagine the plight of a sick elderly woman occupying an NHS bed. She knows that if she goes home it will be a struggle for her family to look after her and the last thing she wants is to be a burden. She might well feel that for their sake, for the sake of the busy medical staff desperate for more beds, even for the sake of society as a whole, it would be best if she asked for euthanasia. Rights have a danger of turning into duties. Perhaps the right question is not so much whether these people have worthwhile lives but whether we are the kind of society who will care for them without doubting their worth."
The alternative to creating a society characterised by vulnerable people feeling a ‘duty-to-die’ (or a 'duty-to-abort') is a society that feels a ‘duty-to-care’ for vulnerable people. Such a just society will offer sick and dying people hospice care and will invest in palliative medicine. It is noteworthy that nations that have legalised euthanasia – like Holland – lacked both of these things.
Two important internet resources about euthanasia
Euthanasia.com provides further information for people interested in understanding the horror of euthanasia.
The Papal Encyclical ’The Gospel of Life’ provides a Catholic statement on how we can build a pro-life society that cares for every person – regardless of their age, race and level of perceived ability.
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